MPs for action against Ramdev for his remarks

After Anna Hazare and his team, it is now the turn of yoga guru Ramdev to kick up a controversy by attacking MPs calling them "dacoits and murderers".

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and several MPs, including senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, did not mince words in condemning the utterances and asked people to show respect to Parliament.

In an apparent reference to comments against parliamentarians by yoga guru Ramdev, a Samajwadi Party member in Lok Sabha on Wednesday sought action under the rules of parliamentary privilege against people making such "derogatory" references against MPs.

Without naming Ramdev, Shailendra Kumar said such remarks made "openly on public platforms" amounted to breach of privilege of the Parliament and demanded action against the culprits.

"MPs were being openly bad-mouthed by these persons who were calling elected representatives a bunch of thieves, thugs, rapists and murderers," he said.

Maintaining that he had moved a privilege notice on the matter, Kumar said the government should also investigate the sources of funding of NGOs and religious organisations run by these people who were using these platforms to attack politicians elected by the people.

The SP member, who received all-round support in the House, demanded that the government should be directed to take action against all those "harming democracy and attacking Parliament".

Kumar and Congress member Jagdambika Pal sought severe punishment to those making such remarks and violating the dignity of the House.

PC Chacko, who was in the Chair, said Kumar's notice had been received by the Speaker and asked the agitated members toawait her decision.

Addressing the media while launching his month-long yatra in Chhattisgarh's Durg on Tuesday, Ramdev said, "They are those people who don't care, don't love the farmers, the labourers or the people of this country.

"They are friends and slaves of money. They are illiterate, dacoits and murderers. They are devils in the form of humans, who we have elected to those posts. They are not worth," Ramdev said.

He said there are good people among the Parliamentarians and he respected them. "But there are dacoits, murderers, illiterates among them. We have to save Parliament. We have to remove corrupt people," Ramdev added.

Earlier, Hazare and his team, especially Arvind Kejriwal, angered Parliament when they attacked MPs. Kejriwal even called MPs murderers and rapists besides naming 14 Ministers as corrupt and threatened cases against them.

Speaker Kumar said, "The Constitution is supreme. It has granted a certain position to Parliament. We all should take care of this first."

Sinha said insult of Parliament and lawmakers and indeed that of Constitution has become a normal norm now.

"And who insults the more is a bigger hero now.

"This is absolutely wrong. Nobody has the authority, no matter how big the individual is, ..... it insults the democratic institutions," he said.

Union Minister Harish Rawat said Ramdev was raising a question mark on the whole democratic set up.

BJP MP Kirti Azad said, "It has come to such a situation that in this country, nowadays anybody can speak anything and get away with it.

"No one seems to be in any control. However, I am surprised that Ramdev made such remarks. I can be termed as criminal too as I had violated Section 144 of CrPC while protesting against power cuts. But I did not expect such remarks from him," he said.

Congress MP Jagadambika Pal said character assassination of Parliament and Parliamentarians is not acceptable.